# What AI runs humanoid robots?

**No single AI runs humanoid robots; each maker runs its own brain.** On DEPLOY's record, most humanoids run a captive AI built in-house by the robot's own maker: Figure's Helix, 1X's Redwood, UBTech's BrainNet, Tesla's FSD-Bot. A few are licensed across makers: NVIDIA's open GR00T runs robots from Hexagon and Agility. The full catalog is below, each brain dated and sourced.

Last verified Jun 28, 2026. 62 sources.

## Short answer

There is no one AI that runs humanoid robots, and DEPLOY does not name a winner. What we can do is show the record. On DEPLOY's registry, humanoids are run by a set of distinct AI brains, most of them a vision-language-action model or a world model that turns what the robot sees and hears into motion.

The important pattern is who builds the brain. Most humanoid AI today is captive: the robot's own maker builds it in-house and does not license it, so Figure runs Helix, 1X runs Redwood, UBTech runs BrainNet, Unitree runs UnifoLM, and Tesla runs an FSD-derived stack. A smaller set is licensed across makers: NVIDIA's open GR00T foundation model runs robots from Hexagon and Agility, and xAI's Grok supplies the reasoning layer for Tesla's Optimus.

The catalog below lists every humanoid brain on the record, what it is, who builds it, whether it is open, and which humanoids it runs, each dated and sourced or left honestly blank where the record holds nothing.

## Two patterns: captive vs licensed

- **Captive (built in-house): 15 of 17.** The robot's own maker builds the brain and does not license it (Figure runs Helix, 1X runs Redwood, UBTech runs BrainNet, Unitree runs UnifoLM).
- **Licensed across makers: 2 of 17.** A brain that runs a humanoid built by a different company than its developer: GR00T N1 (Isaac GR00T) (Hexagon, Agility Robotics); Grok (xAI) (Tesla).

## Every AI that runs a humanoid on the record

| AI system (brain) | Builder | Type | Access | Humanoids it runs |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Genie Operator-1 (GO-1) | AgiBot | Foundation model | Closed | AgiBot Yuanzheng A2, AgiBot Lingxi X2, AgiBot G2, AgiBot A2, AgiBot A2-W |
| UnifoLM | Unitree Robotics | World model | Open | Unitree G1, Unitree R1, Unitree H1, Unitree H2, Unitree H2 Plus |
| UBTech BrainNet (Thinker) | UBTech Robotics | Foundation model | Closed | Walker S2, Walker S Lite, Walker S1 |
| GR00T N1 (Isaac GR00T) | NVIDIA | Foundation model | Open | AEON, Digit |
| Redwood AI | 1X Technologies | Foundation model | Closed | NEO, NEO Gamma |
| 1X World Model | 1X Technologies | World model | Closed | NEO |
| Atlas-Gemini | Google DeepMind, Boston Dynamics | Foundation model | Closed | Atlas |
| Carbon | Sanctuary AI | Foundation model | Closed | Phoenix |
| GraspVLA (Galbot) | Galbot | Foundation model | Closed | Galbot G1 |
| Grok (xAI) | xAI | Foundation model | Closed | Tesla Optimus |
| Helix (and Helix-02) | Figure AI | Foundation model | Closed | Figure 03 |
| Mentee Brain | Mentee Robotics | Foundation model | Closed | MenteeBot |
| Mi-Sense (Xiaomi) | Xiaomi | Research model | Closed | Xiaomi CyberOne |
| Neuraverse Cognitive Stack | NEURA Robotics | Autonomy OS | Closed | 4NE-1 |
| RobotEra ERA-42 | Robot Era | Foundation model | Closed | RobotEra L7 |
| Tesla FSD-Bot | Tesla | Foundation model | Closed | Tesla Optimus |
| VLT (XPENG VLA / VLA 2.0) | XPeng Robotics | Foundation model | Open | XPeng IRON |

## How we know this

- [AgiBot (GlobeNewswire)](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/03/11/3040608/0/en/AgiBot-GO-1-The-Evolution-of-Generalist-Embodied-Foundation-Model-from-VLA-to-ViLLA.html)
- [Barchart](https://www.barchart.com/story/news/31336659/agibot-unveils-universal-embodied-foundation-model-genie-operator-1-go-1)
- [Unitree Robotics (official GitHub)](https://github.com/unitreerobotics/unifolm-world-model-action)
- [Unitree Robotics (official GitHub)](https://github.com/unitreerobotics/unifolm-vla)
- [Yicai Global](https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/chinas-unitree-open-sources-world-model-to-advance-robotics-ecosystem) (2025-09-16)
- [Gasgoo](https://autonews.gasgoo.com/articles/icv/ubtech-2025-report-card-revenue-from-full-size-humanoid-robots-grows-over-22-fold-2039900685372407808)
- [UBTech (PR Newswire)](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ubtech-humanoid-robot-walker-s2-begins-mass-production-and-delivery-with-orders-exceeding-800-million-yuan-302616924.html)
- [UBTech (official)](https://www.ubtrobot.com/en/humanoid/products/walker-s2)
- [NVIDIA Newsroom: GR00T N1 announcement (primary)](https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/)
- [NVIDIA Investor Relations](https://investor.nvidia.com/)
- [arXiv 2503.14734: GR00T N1 paper](https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.14734)
- [NVIDIA Research (GEAR Lab)](https://research.nvidia.com/labs/gear/gr00t-n1_5/)
- [NVIDIA Research (GEAR Lab)](https://research.nvidia.com/labs/gear/gr00t-n1_6/)
- [NVIDIA Newsroom](https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-accelerates-robotics-research-and-development-with-new-open-models-and-simulation-libraries)
- [NVIDIA Newsroom](https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-open-humanoid-robot-reference-design)
- [NVIDIA GitHub](https://github.com/NVIDIA/Isaac-GR00T)
- [Hugging Face / NVIDIA](https://huggingface.co/nvidia/GR00T-N1-2B)
- [Boston Dynamics](https://bostondynamics.com/news/boston-dynamics-expands-collaboration-with-nvidia/)
- [1X Technologies (official)](https://www.1x.tech/discover/redwood-ai)
- [The Robot Report](https://www.therobotreport.com/1xs-neo-humanoid-gains-autonomy-with-new-redwood-ai-model/)
- [Humanoids Daily](https://www.humanoidsdaily.com/feed/1x-unveils-redwood-ai-a-unified-onboard-brain-for-its-neo-humanoid-robots)
- [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/13/neo-humanoid-maker-1x-releases-world-model-to-help-bots-learn-what-they-see/)
- [Fortune: NEO preorder coverage with teleoperation caveat](https://fortune.com/)
- [1X Technologies (official)](https://www.1x.tech/)
- [Boston Dynamics (official)](https://bostondynamics.com/)
- [BGR](https://bgr.com/)
- [Sanctuary AI corporate (firm at next pass)](https://www.sanctuary.ai/)
- [Sanctuary AI (official)](https://www.sanctuary.ai/blog/sanctuary-ai-unveils-phoenix-a-humanoid-general-purpose-robot-designed-for-work)
- [The Robot Report](https://www.therobotreport.com/sanctuary-ai-enters-strategic-relationship-with-magna-to-build-embodied-ai-robots/)
- [arXiv (academic)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.03233)
- [Robotics & Automation News](https://roboticsandautomationnews.com/2025/07/03/galbot-raises-151-million-to-scale-embodied-ai-humanoid-robots-partners-with-bosch-investment-arm/92864/)
- [xAI (official)](https://x.ai)
- [Electrek](https://electrek.co/2026/03/11/musk-confirms-xai-tesla-joint-digital-optimus-project-shareholder-lawsuit/)
- [Figure AI: Helix (primary)](https://www.figure.ai/news/helix)
- [Figure AI: Helix in logistics](https://www.figure.ai/news/helix-logistics)
- [TechTimes: Helix-02 8-hour autonomous shift (May 14, 2026)](https://www.techtimes.com/)
- [Luigi Freda: Helix architecture overview](https://luigifreda.com/)
- [Tech Startups](https://techstartups.com/2025/02/21/ai-startup-figure-unveils-helix-new-ai-model-lets-robots-follow-voice-commands-handle-unknown-objects/)
- [New Atlas](https://newatlas.com/robotics/helix-vla-figure-02-robot/)
- [Geeky Gadgets](https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/figure-ai-helix-robotic-model/)
- [Figure (official)](https://www.figure.ai/news/introducing-figure-03)
- [Figure (PR Newswire)](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/figure-exceeds-1b-in-series-c-funding-at-39b-post-money-valuation-302556936.html)
- [Figure (official)](https://www.figure.ai/news/series-c)
- [Mentee Robotics (Business Wire)](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240417586005/en/Mentee-Robotics-Unveils-MenteeBot-A-Humanoid-Robot-That-Integrates-AI-Across-All-Operational-Layers)
- [The Robot Report](https://www.therobotreport.com/mentee-robotics-de-cloaks-launches-ai-driven-humanoid-robot/)
- [Xiaomi (official)](https://www.mi.com/global/discover/article?id=2754)
- [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2022/08/11/meet-xiaomis-new-humanoid-robot-cyberone/)
- [Neura Robotics (official)](https://neura-robotics.com/neura-robotics-at-ces-2026)
- [The Robot Report](https://www.therobotreport.com/neura-robotics-launches-latest-cognitive-robots-neuraverse-ecosystem/)
- [RobotEra (official)](https://www.robotera.com/en/robotics/L7.html)
- [Humanoids Daily](https://www.humanoidsdaily.com/news/robotera-unveils-end-to-end-humanoid-solution-to-close-logistics-final-automation-gap)
- [The Robot Report](https://www.therobotreport.com/robotera-gets-series-a-funding-partners-unido-embodied-intelligence/)
- [Tesla (official)](https://www.tesla.com/AI)
- [Teslarati](https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-finalizes-ai5-chip-design-elon-musk-makes-bold-claim-capability/)
- [Electrek](https://electrek.co/2024/01/22/tesla-releases-fsd-v12-last-hope-self-driving/)
- [Electrek](https://electrek.co/2024/11/14/tesla-pushes-end-to-end-neural-networks-for-highway-driving-but-only-for-newer-vehicles/)
- [Humanoids Daily](https://www.humanoidsdaily.com/news/tesla-ai-chief-details-unified-world-simulator-for-fsd-and-optimus)
- [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/02/tesla-dojo-the-rise-and-fall-of-elon-musks-ai-supercomputer/)
- [XPeng (official)](https://en.xiaopeng.com/news.html)
- [Electrek](https://electrek.co/)
- [RoboHorizon](https://robohorizon.com/)
- [Inside China Auto](https://insidechinaauto.com/)

## Common questions

### What AI powers Figure's humanoid robots?

Figure AI's robots run Helix, an onboard dual-system vision-language-action model Figure builds in-house. It is a captive brain: Figure does not license it to other makers. On DEPLOY's record Helix powers Figure 02 and Figure 03.

### What AI does Tesla Optimus use?

On DEPLOY's record Tesla Optimus runs a dual-brain stack: Tesla's own FSD-derived neural network handles the visuomotor layer, and xAI's Grok large language model supplies the high-level reasoning layer. Both are recorded as brains that power Optimus. Full V3 specs are not yet verified.

### Is there one AI model that runs all humanoid robots?

No. On DEPLOY's record no single AI runs humanoid robots across makers. Most makers run a captive brain they build in-house. A few brains are licensed across companies, led by NVIDIA's open GR00T foundation model, but none is an industry-wide standard.

### Which humanoid AI models are open-source?

A minority. On DEPLOY's record most humanoid brains are closed and proprietary. The open ones include NVIDIA's GR00T N1, Unitree's UnifoLM, and Xpeng's VLA, which their developers have released or committed to open. The catalog above marks each brain open or closed.

### What is a robot brain?

On DEPLOY a brain is the cognitive identity of a robot: the AI model or system that turns what the robot senses into action. For humanoids it is usually a vision-language-action model or a world model, run onboard. DEPLOY tracks each brain as its own record, linked to the robots it powers and the company that builds it.

## Keep reading

- [Which physical-AI companies are worth the most? Valuations ranked.](/valuations.md): Comparisons
- [What AI actually drives each robot? AI stacks compared](/ai-stacks.md): Comparisons
- [Which company is the leader in humanoid robotics?](/which-company-leads-humanoid-robotics.md): Comparisons
- [Which country is no. 1 in robotics?](/which-country-is-number-1-in-robotics.md): Comparisons
- [All verified answers](/answers.md): Every standing question DEPLOY tracks.
- [The brain registry](/brains.md): Every AI brain DEPLOY tracks across humanoids, drones, robotaxis, and trucks.

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